Someone sent us an article late last month about Wesley Baxley, in Oklahoma. he was looking for someone to donate money so he could go pick up an Irish Wolfhound service dog that he needed for the PTSD that he caught in boot camp;

“Men and women who have PTSD, they lose jobs and they don’t know what’s going on,” said Baxley. “They lose family. I mean men and women that don’t understand, they leave them.”

Baxley says that’s exactly what happened to him. And it was actually a chance encounter at the VA Medical Center in Oklahoma City that introduced him to Operation Wolfhound , a group that provides psychiatric service dogs to veterans with PTSD.

“I saw a man with a service dog and it was an Irish wolfhound,” said Baxley. “I went up to him and started talking with him and he said ‘Yeah I have PTSD.'”

Baxley said that chance encounter not only changed his life, but gave him hope. He joined the United States Marine Corp. right after high school. But he, like so many others, now suffers from PTSD due to trauma he says he endured during boot camp.

“It’s real, I mean it’s nothing to be played with and it won’t [ever] go away,” said Baxley. “So it’s just been hard not just on me but my family as well.”

So, I guess we all caught the PTS in boot camp or basic training, or whatever you want to call it. But that’s about all Wesley did was go to boot camp, according to his FOIA:

It looks like he never left Camp Lejeune, although he does have a Sea Service Ribbon, but he did 2 1/2 years of active service and no Reserve time, so it looks like his PTS got him booted from the Marines. Of course, he’s probably qualified for VA treatment, but his whole attitude demeans those who truly have PTS and he’s taking a dog away from a real wounded vet, because some drill instructor yelled at him once.

Comments (78)

Apologies if someone else has already covered this in amongst all the rape discussions and I missed it. His record shows a series of assignments that implies he definately made it out of Boot Camp. The Marines wouldn’t keep him around that long. Lejeune is a huge base. I’m not a Marine Personnel expert so I’ll limit what I say to that. But I suspect that if you did a Freedom of Information request on my time in the Navy at about the same time, you’d see Basic, A School and SEAOPDET 30 out of NAS Oceana and it wouldn’t mention that I made two cruises on the Eisenhower which that SEAOPDET was attached to. Though the awards section would give you a clue. Back in the late 80s it wasn’t unusual for Navy and Marines with 20 years of service to have 3 or 4 ribbons (with multiple awards though). I’m not defending this guy. I just suspect that there’s a “rest of the story” to be found here. It may be a steaming pile of a story but there’s more. Service at sea can be highly dangerous though from accident, not intent. He could legitimately have PTSD though I suspect he’s likely scamming a system set up to lean towards the diagnosis.

Rape was brought into the discussion by yet another person who has never served, but wants to chime in based on her stereotypes of service members and the assumed man-rapes that she believes occur in boot camp.

PH, Anon is who brought sex into the discussion this time. Not that it had anything to do with the article. Just like so many libbies these days, no matter the topic, it is important to identify gender, orientation, blah, blah, blah.

As they do with so many other items which are not issues at all, they make it one by deliberately defining terms and suggesting to anyone who will listen that it IS a problem. If you do that long enough, some people will begin to believe you.

@ #58: It said somewhere in all that mess that it is a non-vet, so that guess would likely be correct. The knowing better than we do what we need attitude is beyond irksome.

Unfortunately, assuming that what it said is true, that attitude is not uncommon where veterans are treated for whatever ails them, especially in the psych services area.

Just to be clear here: I have known several seriously competent counselor types who have no military service and some who are not even married to veterans. What they lack in military experience they more than make up for in showing respect to the people they are supposed be helping.

I might have PTSD when Dalton beat my ass and banged my sister. Dalton is so cool. Oh by the way did I mention that I was in Iraq in 2004 you know back when we where still shooting. I fear Dalton he beat my ass when I shot my mouth off around Perry.

@37 (Anon) You’re not going to get a whole lot of sympathy from former/current Marines on this board about the “hardships” of boot camp or the possibility of sexual assault while there.

ALL Marines go through boot camp–tough and stressful–you bet but him calling for PTSD treatment over boot camp is absurd. If it was too tough to hack, he would have not made it. He did-he needs to STFD and STFU. He is OBVIOUSLY milking the system. Is it possible he was sexually assaulted while at boot camp–it’s possible but highly highly highly unlikely as Grimmy pointed out–you have zero privacy the entire time you are at boot camp and even if he was assaulted then–why suddenly the PTSD after over 25 years later?. Not buying it. I was in during that time and there was nothing, I repeat, nothing that could have given you a 27 year delayed case of the PTSD.

I can tell you what the case here is–dolt got out early on a medical for twisting his ankle on the boat or cranking his back on a hump or something stupid thing like that and after milking his “disability” for 25 years, saw a way to get more stuff free using the ole “boot camp gave me nightmares” deal. Non-Marines would look at Full Metal Jacket and say–“oh yeah–he got’s it!”. Me -nope–not buying it.

In my opinion, NO one who served during my era should claim the right to special stuff for PTSD. As I mentioned earlier–there are many soldiers and Marines out there right now with legitimate issues that need our attention. Not this dolt–stop trying to support his BS claim with psycho-babble. There enough of that floating around.

@29, Closure. I do know of 2 male DI’s who were kicked out for sexually assaulting male recruits between 92’and my retirement in 07′. It was kept pretty much under the table and actually I wouldn’t have found out had I not been also working with NIS, now NCIS, on child sexual assault cases. Those are the only 2 I know about and don’t know how many recruits were involved.

Now…for this asshole. He demeans every veteran who truly suffers from PTSD and although I understand what the VA Therapists, “ANON” is saying, I would bet my retirement nothing like that happened to this twit and he sees real heroes at the VA and wants everyone to see him with a dog so he can be so recognized. I can hear him now….”Thanks for asking about my experience, but it’s too painful to talk about.” Give him a dog fish.

I’d have to agree with 1AirCav69, that this guy is milking the system. This is from the VA’s section on service dogs:

‘Emotional support dogs
An emotional support animal is a pet that helps an owner with a mental disability. Emotional support dogs help owners feel better by giving friendship and love. These dogs are also called comfort dogs or support dogs.

An emotional support dog does not need special training. Generally, a regular pet can be an emotional support dog if a mental health provider writes a letter saying that the owner has a mental health condition or disability and needs the dog’s help for his or her health or treatment.

In most states, emotional support dogs do not have special permission to go to all public places like service dogs do. But emotional support dogs are sometimes allowed special consideration. For example, the owner may be able to get permission to have an emotional support pet in a house or apartment that does not normally allow dogs. Or the owner may be able to get permission to fly on a plane together with the dog.

To get special permissions, the dog owner needs to show the mental health provider’s letter to the landlord or airline. Sometimes, the landlord or airline will also want to see information about the mental health provider, such as a copy of their professional license.’

Note that dogs specifically kept for PTSD/emotional support are NOT specially trained for the kinds of things that seizure support dogs or guide dogs are trained. They are basically just plain old pets, and are NOT allowed in restaurants, grocery stores, or other places where the ‘No Dogs’ sign is up.

In that case, a rescued dog from a shelter is just as serviceable as (in this case) a wolfhound, which, FYI, is an expensive and very large dog with a short lifespan (avg. is 12 years).

In fact, a calm, quiet lapcat that gives head butts and face rubs and wants to hang out with you a lot will do just as much good as a dog. And if you need something warm and hairy that snores sleeping next to you at night, a flat-faced cat like an Exotic or a Persian mix snores like freight train.

The wolfhound will draw attention much more than a chihuahua or a mutt, and unless I’m mistaken, that’s what this dorkwad wants. This jerk is definitely milking the system.

@66 AC- I stand corrected. A DI is the only one who could get a recruit in a private place. So the two DIs didn’t think the recruits would ever get out of MCRD, or not remember if they did? /rhetorical/
Kind of like pedophiles thinking the kids they molest will never be adults and in a position to retaliate

In my state and community you can get a permit for a service dog. Guide dog, dog’s for the deaf and those with seizures disorders. But not for PTSD. I have seen way too many little purse dogs being carried into restaurants, store and such and when asked the person says it is an “emotional support dog my doctor says I have to have”. To which, the restaurant manager asks them to leave and then they pitch the proverbial bitch. I don’t mind true service dogs. But these emotional support dogs, everywhere you go, yapping and barking and smelling well, like a dog, in the restaurant seat next to you, is getting out of hand. It is like people who park in the handicapped space with no tag or license plate and when I ask them about it they take off with a long list of surgeries and bullshit that makes them think they are above the law. I always tell them if you have had so many health problems it is a simple thing to have your doc fill out the State form for a DP plate. They usually tell me to F— off and go their merry way.

PH2…agreed. He wants to be the star of show and tell. Closure, you hit the nail on the head. As I recall, and both incidents were between 92 and 94′, that’s exactly what they thought. They couldn’t believe the recruits ratted them out.

Sparks, another great analogy. In Beaufort certain people having a handicapped mirror plaque was like winning the lottery. They would get 2, pass them to friends and relatives, then claim they were lost or stolen, get to more, and keep doing this because DMV never checked or enforced. Now you only get one and his has to have your picture on it.

I am all for trained dogs for PTSD but again, the problem is the amount of civilian fakers out there that will get them and guys like this asshole. I do think that it would have helped me 40+ years ago when there was no help.

Sparks, in my state, there is a new law that not only increases the fine for violating the ADA rules about things like parking places and mirror hangers, but also allows the police to impound your car.

I see people abusing the handicapped parking rules all the time, parking in an empty spot and walking quite well to the door of the store, and it really annoys me. The new law states that you have to have a handicapped license plate, which means a verification of some kind, usually from a doctor. I just hope I see it enforced.

I remember that case about the DI’s however I stand by my original thoughts–it was highly highly unlikely that this guy got caught up in that kind of thing and definitely not by those guys (and he was not anywhere near PI during the 90’s in the Marine Corps). It’s just not that common. Even if he did (and I am pretty sure he did not)– waiting 27 years to claim “PTSD” is baloney.

This guys is just a mooch who saw another way to expand his moochiness.

Hard to believe I know but yes, even the Marine Corps has its share of dickweeds and scumbags especially during that time frame when the Marine Corps was packed with people (see lowlife scumbag molesting DI’s above).

Man how do you know weather or not he has PTSD. Not everyone is the Same. Plus he probably feels like shit for leaving the military. Since almost everyone is held up as heroes in the military. I know some are heroes but some people in the military are just huge assholes that like to fight and are str8 up pricks. So fuck this thread pisses me the fuck off. I was in the military and I’ve been in to the psyche ward. I am on anti psychotics and anti anxiety meds. This thread fuckng pisses me the fuck off.

But if he wants people to donate money to him besides the gov. I could see how that could be moochy. But he might be broke as fuck like me. I should never of joined the army I was fucked up drug addict before I joined and then I was ten times more fucked after I joined I wore a nose plug on my nose for 6 months. Sex is awesome like that. But yah unless the government is helping him I don’t like to go asking people for money. But maybe he is learning humility so he can be happy and sober. 767676767676777 666 777 666 7777 666666666666 777777.

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We are all military combat veterans and we write primarily from that perspective. Everyone who writes here has a Combat Infantry Badge, a Combat Medic Badge, a Combat Action Badge or a Combat Action Ribbon. We write about issues that matter to combat veterans..read more »